AGEING GRACEFULLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING ENVIRONMENT IN SINGAPORE: A STUDY ON THE PROVISION AND USAGE OF ELDERLY AMENITIES FOR THE ELDERLY IN CLEMENTI'S PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE

Abstract

Design and planning of elderly amenity spaces are increasingly more important, especially to promote ageing-in-place in a face of an ageing population in Singapore’s public housing estates in the recent years. This dissertation seeks to assess if the public housing environment of the three different neighbourhoods consisting of different HDB typologies, are adequate in providing elderly amenities to support an ageing-in-place scenario with regards to the well-being of the elderly. The paper would base its findings on one of the most elderly-populated housing estates in Singapore in the next decade – Clementi Town.

Through the literature review, it was proven that the provider-user dichotomy could have an impact on elderly’s well-being. Yet within Singapore’s context, there is presently an absence in studies being done. By means of qualitative data obtained from site investigations and usage analysis, this paper attempts to evaluate existing site facilities as well as the usage of existing amenities among elderly users in the public housing environment.

Lastly, in order to facilitate negotiation between elderly users of services and the state as provider of these services in the public housing estates; this paper will examine the design adaptability and essential conditions of elderly amenities in three neighbourhoods within Clementi Town; which are categorised as social, recreational, commercial and residual spaces. Furthermore, learning from the site findings and literature review, identify any incongruences between the state’s perception of needs measured against actual usage of elderly persons.